ultimate korean food comic sm press copy
TRANSCRIPT
SAY KIMCHI!KOREAN FOOD COMIC COLLECTIONILLUSTRATED BY HEEJEONG SOHN
WRITTEN BY DANIEL GRAY AND JIA CHOI
O’NGO FOOD COMMUNICATIONS
Hello everyone! My name is Jia and I am really, super excited to introduce you to my favoritist food: Korean food. Many of my friends who have visited here tell me they think it is very exotic and a little confusing, so I wanted to share what I know about it. Korean food is very exciting and full of history. By understanding the food, you can learn a lot about the Korean customs and the people. Are you hungry? Alright, let’s get started!
INTRODUCTION
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BUDAE CHIGGAE:
Learn More: Budae Chiggae (�)�)
The Korean War from 1950-1953 was a very difficult time in Korea's History and with the help of many nations. Korea was able to push the North Koreans back to the 38th parallel. During this time, south Korea was introduced to many western foods they had never seen before.
one such dish was called budae jjigae or military stew. This was made from sausage, spam, baked beans, kimchi, cheese, and noodles.
*Tip: spam is considered a luxury item in Korea and is often given as gifts. It is used in rice rolls (kimbap) and battered in egg and fried and served as a side dish.
budae jjigae is delicious with
rice and you should enjoy it with friends. Oh, add the noodles
first and eat just after they are cooked so they
don't get soggy.
This dish is sometimes
called Johnson Stew after President
Johnson of the USA.
The songtan area near uijeonbu (north eastern part of seoul is famous for many budae jjigae restaurants. This is also the setting for the television show M.A.S.H.
Yukhwae* is fresh raw beef that is served over thinly sliced white pear and topped with a raw egg yolk, sesame seeds and sesame oil. Raw Beef!
Raw Egg! Oh, My!
*��Learn more: Yukhwae
Koreans believe fresh meat that is not cooked is said to be easily digested by the body.
to eat, First break the egg yolk and mix into the meat and sesame oil. Then mix the pear into the meat.
TIP: The pear juice makes the meat even more tender.
Grab some meat with some crisp pear and dip into sesame oil and eat. Have it with sips of soup and with shots of soju.
The most interesting part is that the meat is slightly frozen and then thinly julienned so the meat does not get greasy.
It's actually very
delicious and safe to eat. The pear and sesame oil with raw
beef is a great combination.
You can also enjoy some liver and cow’s stomach (if you are brave) with this meal.
CABBAGE KIMCHI �
Cabbage kimchi* is one of over 100 different types of kimchi. A long time ago it used to be stored in special ceramic pots called O'nngi and these used to be buried up to its neck to maintain the proper temperature.
*����*Learn More: Baechu Kimchi
Just before winter, families get together to make a lot of kimchi. Each family might prepare 60-100 heads of kimchi.
Mom! We need to make 100
heads of kimchi this winter! we ran
out by august this year.
Jia dear, I think you are a
kimchiholic.
Kimchi is eaten at almost every meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even with snack dishes like ramen.
Kimchi is so important that most families have a kimchi refrigerator. To make it it easy to eat, you can cut it with a knife.
Tip: Be sure to lay it out flat on a board. before cutting. First cut it lengthwise in half and then cut it horizontally so it will be easy to pick up with chopsticks.
Kimchi is a way to add vegetables and a healthy balance to a meal. Eat it between bites of meat, rice, soup, and other kimchis. Also, You can
stirfry it with some oil and bacon to make a topping
for hotdogs, burgers and tofu. Aged kimchi is best for
kimchi stew with pork or tuna. I love kimchi!
jia
dances
with special
celebrity
guests!
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Oppa is Gangnam style Gangnam style
A girl who is warm and humanly during the day A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes A girl with that kind of twistMartina of Eat Your Kimchi
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I’m a guy A guy who is as warm as you during the day A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down A guy whose heart bursts when night comes That kind of guy
Simon of Eat Your Kimchi
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Beautiful, lovable Yes you, hey, yes you, hey Beautiful, lovable Yes you, hey, yes you, hey Now let’s go until the end Daniel of Seoul Eats
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Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh
Hyun-woo, Hyo-jin and Kyeong-eun of Talk to Me in Korean
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Welcome! What are you hungry for?
ummm…everything...
you'll find these mobile food carts piled high with snacks all over Korea. the best ones have tteokbokki: rice cake and spicy sauce and tweggum: various fried snacks. They are all casual, fast and delicious.
Learn More: Tteokbokki ( �$)
A good one to start out with is Odeng: fish cake that has been pressed and fried. To eat this, you can pull a stick of odeng out, brush a little soy sauce on it and eat. Enjoy it with a cup of the broth. this is best on cold days.
this sure beats scrubbing
paint out of my hair.
hey, picasso, a
little more to the left.
tip: be careful with the skewer when you eat.
Learn More: O-deng ("�)
another great dish is tweggum. There are different ones such as squid (Ojingo), noodles wrapped in seaweed (kim mari), Sweet potato (goguma), and vegetable (yachae).
warning: the food is hot!
Ojingo
goguma
kim mari
this sure beats cutting
hair.
argh!!! Stop
please!
Learn More: Tweggum (.�)Learn More: Ojingo ("(!)Learn More: Kim Mari (���)Learn More: Goguma (���)
wow…So Spicy, but I can't stop
eating.
I thought if we were
super spicy she would stop
eating. She's a monster.
TIP: This is a Korean kid’s favorite!
Tteokbokki are soft rice cakes served with spicy sauce. They will be served on a plate or bowl and you can eat it with toothpicks or skewers.
Learn More: Tteokbokki ( �$)
Soon-dae is korean black sausage. it is A pig’s intestines filled with rice or sweet potato noodles and pig’s blood. it is then steamed. it is sliced and served with liver and lung.
i taste better than i
sound.
Learn More: Soondae (�)
I like the clear,
sweet potato noodle soondae
most and it is yummy great with
the chili salt.
Soondae originally comes from North Korea and it was considered a festival food because only during festivals (or weddings) people would be able toslaughter livestock. it was originally only stuffed with high-quality glutinous rice, vegetables, and pig's blood.
bundaeggi is silkworm larva after the silk has been removed to make cloth. they are rich in protein and is sometimes used in oriental medicine. They are believed to restore energy.
i hope nobody
pulls my string.
5 minutes later
yikes! we're all
naked!
oh, shucks. now I'll never become a
butterfly.
i don't
know why she's so upset. it was so
stuffy in there.
Learn More: Bundaeggi (���)
yum. they are crispy
and warm like a buggy
chocolate.
Bundaeggi are usually served warm in a paper cup. you eat them with a toothpick. other versions of this dish include bundaeggi soup.
hahaha. I've never heard them
called that before. Eat them
all. they are good for you.
don't blow your nose at the table. traditionally, Koreans did not speak or make noise that could disturb others while dining.
shhh! weren't you
raised properly?!
Do not pour your own alcohol. It means that you don't have relationships with others at the dinner table and the person that sits across from you will have bad luck.
ahhh…please turn away from
me.
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you're glass is only half full, let
me...
no. no. no. No more, please.
don't refill someone's alcohol unless they finish drinking the whole glass. A half-full glass may indicate that they don't wish to drink more (they might have to drive home or they might not drink alcohol.
Pour alcohol with your right hand while touching your right elbow with your left hand. Pretend as if your right sleeve is really baggy, and your left hand is holding your sleeve up and away from the table.
here you go.
here's some more soju for you.���� �
��������
do not start eating until the eldest person at the table starts eating.
grandad, you better start eating or all
the good stuff will be gone. ummm. ummm.
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to be very polite, turn away from your elders and raise your hand to cover the side of your cup. It is also rude to stare at elders in the eyes when drinking alcohol. (Note: this only applies to drinking alcohol.)
Jia is such a polite girl.
don't pick up the rice bowl when eating. Korean rice is stickier so you don't have to. some think holding up the bowl makes the person eating look like a bum.
look at her. haha. she is
picking up her bowl of rice to shovel the rice into her mouth.
don't stare.
that's rude. maybe she can't use utensils
well.
don't hold your chopsticks and your spoons in the same hand while eating (it looks unsophisticated.)
mommy, why's that girl
holding the spoon and chopsticks together?
Maybe she's afraid someone will steal them. now, don't you start doing that. No one is going to rob
you, Jaeyoon.
ding-Dong!
politely call for your waiter by pushing the call button on the table. Just push once or twice. If there is no button on the table, politely say "chogeeyo" to get the staff's attention.
��������������������������� ������
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when cooking Korean barbecue, cook the meat first and then cut up the meat with scissors and tongs and serve equally to guests.
hey! Jisu got more than me.
don't worry, there is
plenty for everyone.
can we eat now?
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Use the hand towel or wet tissue to wash your hands before eating Korean barbecue. You'll need to use your hands for wrapping the meats with leaves so this makes it sanitary for you and others.
I love
korean barbecue! It
is my favoritist
food in the whole world.
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Don’t put chopsticks on the side of your rice bowl. it’s considered an offering for ghosts and past ancestors. If you do this, ghosts may come visit you and eat your meal.
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Don’t leave your spoon turned over on the table. The living should always have the curved, open part of the spoon facing up to catch good luck and good fortunes.
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if there are round, white things that look like big pills on your table they are not mints or food. They are wet towels that rise up when you pour water on them. don't eat them :)
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if there is a bowl of milky-clear water on the table, it is not for washing your hands. It is chilled, turnip soup for eating.
don't put your
fingers in the soup!
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just put a dab of samjang* on your leaf when eating barbecue. DOn't spread it like peanut butter.
*samjang is a dip made of soy bean paste (doenjang), chili paste (gochujang), sesame oil and garlic.
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if you are invited to a house warming party (or if you are throwing a house warming party), Koreans like to give gifts that signify plenty and growing fortunes. Common gifts include: a family pack of toilet paper or a box of laundry soap. The many sheets of paper and the bubbles represent growing wealth and prosperity.
hi guys! i love
the new place!
jia! oh, you brought a
gift. you shouldn't
have.
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the most important person (usually the highest position holder like the president or CEO) sits in the middle of the table and he (or she) faces the door. If the guest is asked to sit in that position it is a sign of respect.
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business cards are very important. Offer business cards with both hands. You should also receive business cards with two hands. It is polite when accepting to read the name and the person's title or position.
*it is a social taboo to write on another person's business card.
john Kim.
Director of Marketing. It's nice to Meet you.
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kamsahamnida
for business or official meals, guests don't due separate checks. The person who invited the guests to dinner will most often pay the check. sometimes the eldest or highest positioned person at the table will pay the check. it is considered rude for the person that is younger or was invited to pay the bill.
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oppan Gangnam
style!
after dinner you might be invited to another place for eating or drinking. This is a sign, the group would like to get to know you more. If after that second place you are invited to go to a singing room (noraebang) that means that the other party would like to become friends. it means negotiations are going well and it's really a fun and unique thing to do in Korea!
ARE YOU PLANNING TO VISIT KOREA?In real life, Jia Choi has a doctorate in Korean Food and she is the president of O’ngo Food Communica-tions: a Korean cooking school and culinary tourism company in Seoul, South Korea. Meet Jia Choi and her friends at O’ngo Food Communications. They offer cooking classes and food tours for visitors to Korea in English or Japanese. She and the school has been featured in Elle Magazine, Monocle, Kimchi Chroni-cles Television Show, Lonely Planet Guide, Politiken Newspaper, Olive Magazine, Euronews, and other me-dia. They are ranked as one of the top attractions in Korea according to tripadvisor.